Good morning, Greater Sudbury.
Here are some stories to start your day.
Exterior design for Place des Arts revealed:
Francophone Affairs Minister Caroline Mulroney was in town Friday to take part in the unveiling of the design for the Place des Arts Francophone arts and culture centre to be built in downtown Sudbury. The four-storey, 40,000-square-foot building, which is being built at the corner of Elgin and Larch streets north of Medina Lane, will be home to eight French-language cultural organizations. It will also house an early childhood arts centre, a bistro, a 120-seat studio, a 300-seat concert hall, an art gallery and gift and book shop. The building's exterior design aims to reflect Sudbury's urban, yet industrial, economy, and will be made of a rich material with colours typical of ore from Northern Ontario — corten steel. Corten steel forms a stable rust-like appearance after several years exposure to weather. Construction begins this spring. Place des Arts will open in late 2020 or early 2021. Full story can be found here.
'We've turned over every stone': LU chopping $10.1M to balance budget:
Laurentian University plans to present a balanced budget for 2019-2020 in June, but has to eliminate $10.1 million from its spending to do that. Interim LU president Pierre Zundel said the province's announcement that post-secondary schools would be required to reduce tuition by 10 per cent this fall creates about a $5.5 million hole in the budget. The province is, however, creating a contingency fund for northern schools such as Laurentian – in part because they attract fewer international students whose fees are not subject to the tuition cut. Last year, Saudi Arabia also pulled its students from Canadian universities, including 130 from Laurentian, after a diplomatic dispute with Canada. Zundel said he hopes the shortfall related to the tuition cut will be offset by this fund. Full story here.
Lights out for Earth Hour today at 8:30 p.m.:
Earth Hour — when people turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour as a symbol of commitment to the planet — takes place tonight (Saturday, March 30) from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns across 187 countries and territories to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment. Students at École secondaire catholique Champlain in Chelmsford took part in their own version of the event on Friday, March 29. They turned off the lights and abandoned technology in the classroom for the full day on Friday.
Missing: Police asking for assistance in locating missing teen:
Greater Sudbury Police is asking for the assistance of the public to locate missing teen Ramzey St. Amour. The 15-year-old was last seen at around 4 p.m. on March 28 on Elm Street in the city's downtown. She was wearing a red jacket and grey pants the last time she was seen. Ramzey St. Amour has long brown hair, brown eyes, and has braces. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171.
Luncheon of Hope welcomes Sharon Hampson of Sharon, Lois and Bram:
The 21 annual luncheon of hope has found some real star power for its keynote speaker at the annual September events: Sharon Hampson of Sharon, Lois and Bram fame. Made up of Hampson, Bram Morrison and Lois Lilienstein (who sadly passed away in 2015), the beloved Canadian children's group Sharon, Lois & Bram entertained families across North America starting in 1978. Hampson has been treated for breast cancer three times herself. To date, the Luncheon of Hope has raised more than $914,500, which have purchased breast-cancer research equipment. The 21st annual Luncheon of Hope will take place Sept. 27 at the Caruso Club. Tickets can be purchased for $60 each (includes a $30 charitable receipt) or corporate tables of 10 are available for $600 (includes a $300 charitable receipt). Phone 705-523-HOPE (4673).
Sudbury medical researcher acknowledged for breast cancer work:
A Sudbury medical researcher has been recognized for his work related to fine-tuning treatment for breast cancer patients. Dr. Amadeo Parissenti, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at Laurentian University in Sudbury, received the 2018-2019 Research Excellence Award during the school’s annual Research Week celebrations. Parissenti and his company, Rna Diagnostics, devised the RNA disruption assay tool, which helps monitor the progress of the use of chemotherapy, after one round before surgery, to determine if the treatment is working or not, to allow patients and medical personnel to determine the best course of action. The tool is currently the subject of an international clinical trial, involving 725 patients with aggressive breast cancer, to weigh the test’s ability to predict, early in treatment, complete tumour destruction and improved survival for patients with breast cancer. The company announced last November it had received $5 million in funding to proceed with the trial.
